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Padma Puranaपद्मपुराण · Jain Ramayana
हिन्दी

Parva 94

The Splendour and Family of Rama and Lakshmana

With the Vidyadharas of the southern Vijayardha subdued, Lakshmana reigns as Narayana with his seven jewels beside Rama, and Gautama describes their queens and Lakshmana's two hundred and fifty sons.

Part of The Reign, Mathura and Sita's Exile

Summary

Lakshmana brings every Vidyadhara king of the southern Vijayardha under his rule, and holding the seven jewels of a Narayana he governs the earth with Rama, who holds the four jewels of a Baladeva, the two brothers of one mind. Asked by King Shrenika about the birth of Lavana and Ankusha and about Lakshmana's sons, Gautama first describes the royal household: Lakshmana's sixteen thousand queens with eight chief queens, and Rama's eight thousand queens with four chief queens, among whom Sita shines like the moon among the stars. He then names the leading sons among Lakshmana's two hundred and fifty, and tells how the princes of the Raghu clan live in brotherly love and joy, served by sixteen thousand crowned kings.

What happens

7 points

  1. Lakshmana defeats every Vidyadhara of the southern row of the Vijayardha mountain, and Rama and Lakshmana draw out of them the poison of pride, for they had been as wrathful as venomous serpents; all bow at the brothers' feet as servants. Among their capitals, fine as cities of the gods, the text names Raviprabha, Vahniprabha, Kanchanaprabha, Meghaprabha, Amritapura, Lakshmidharapura, Kinnarapura, Meghakuta, Chakrapura, Ratnapura, Vijayapura and Bhadrapura.

  2. Having conquered all the kings of the earth, Lakshmana enjoys the rank of Narayana with its seven ratnas (jewels): the discus, the conch, the bow, the shakti (spear-missile), the mace, the sword and the Kaustubha gem. Rama holds four jewels, the plough, the pestle, the jewel garland and the mace, and the two brothers rule the earth as one mind, with no trace of difference between them.

  3. King Shrenika tells Gautama that he has heard the glory of Rama and Lakshmana and now wishes to hear of the birth of Lavana and Ankusha and of Lakshmana's sons. Gautama begins by saying that the two great brothers enjoyed their kingdom free of rivals and fear, and that their days, fortnights, months and years passed in great happiness.

  4. Lakshmana has sixteen thousand queens, princesses of noble houses lovely as goddesses, and eight of them are chief queens, glorious, virtuous, beautiful and skilled in many arts. In order they are Vishalya, daughter of King Dronamegha; Rupavati, unrivalled in beauty; Vanamala, a very garland of forest flowers; Kalyanamala; Ratimala; Jitapadma; Bhagavati; and Manorama.

  5. Rama, the Baladeva, has eight thousand queens, with four renowned chief queens: first Janaki (Sita), the cherished daughter of King Janaka, famed, chaste, devoted to her husband and victorious over trials, then Prabhavati, Ratiprabha and Shridama. Among all the queens the great sati (virtuous wife) Sita, pure and graced with auspicious marks and many virtues, shines like the moon among the stars.

  6. Lakshmana has two hundred and fifty sons, among them Vrishabha, Dharana, Chandra, Sarabha, Makaradhvaja, Harinaga, Shridhara and Madana, famed for their virtues and loved by the people. Vishalya's son Shridhara shines in Ayodhya like the moon in the sky, and the text also names Rupavati's son Prithvitilaka, Kalyanamala's son Mangala, Padmavati's son Vimalaprabha, Vanamala's son Arjunakumara, Shrikeshi, son of Ativirya's daughter Ratnamala, Bhagavati's son Satyakeshi and Manorama's son Suparshvakirti.

  7. All these princes are mighty, valiant and skilled in arms and learning, and the brothers love one another so deeply that each dwells in the other's heart as they sport in Ayodhya like gods in heaven. The text adds that those with past merit obtain every wished-for delight without effort from birth: the Raghu clan has four and a half crore (forty-five million) princes enjoying great happiness in its cities, forests and gardens, and sixteen thousand crowned kings, more radiant than the sun, serve Rama and Lakshmana.